1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a deck or fence mounting block or plate-like member or body, and the method of attaching a deck or fence to an adjoining structure.
2. Decription of the Prior Art
One of the problems in attaching a deck or fence to a building or other supporting structure by conventional building methods and standards is that there is a risk that moisture may be trapped and accumulate at the point of attachment and set up a condition that is conducive to the wood rotting at the joint, thus weakening the joint.
Another problem frequently resulting from conventional construction practices is the tendency, mostly inadvertently, to provide "earth-to-wood-contact", thus setting up a condition that is conducive to the attraction of wet-wood termites and the problems attendant thereto.
In the prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 3,716,957 discloses joined metallic H-beam and I-beam structures that support and stiffen each other, utilizing conventional H-beam and I-beam configurations, and embodying a slotted stiffener plate in the union therebetween. This configuration does nothing to deflect or eliminate the accumulation of moisture in the joint between the stiffener plate and the H-beam and I-beam. Additionally, this construction requires a large quantity of mounting bolts, thus increasing the cost of the construction in that it requires skilled employees using expensive equipment to bore the holes and others to place the bolts.
By contrast, the water-shedding spacing mount of the present invention effectively deflects moisture from the joint, and requires only one mounting bolt set through an off-center bolt hole to "capture" the mounting block or plate-like member between two adjacent and joined wood structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,356 discloses a structure for supporting decks on posts having their lower ends embedded in concrete. The structure, while adapted to support a deck, does not consider the problems inherent to support a wooden deck to an adjoining wooden structure to eliminate the moisture problems inherent in conventional structures at the jointure of a building and a deck or fence. The prior art thus appears to deal with structures which, while giving consideration to the support function, appear to give no consideration to a combined or dual concept of the support function of wooden structures in an environment that requires protection against moisture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,542 discloses a modified metal I beam configuration used to attach and space a deck from a building. This is the only patent found that gives consideration to the problem of retained moisture but, as can be seen from the patent, the structure is totally different and much more complex than the present invention. This prior art structure, when mounted in place, has a horizontal surface that does not deflect moisture from the joint between the building and the deck. Additionally, it requires a large number of bolts and screws to mount. The present invention, by contrast, employing the configuration described hereinafter, efficiently deflects moisture from the joint. Furthermore, it requires only one mounting bolt set through the off-center bolt hole to tie the structure together.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,542 appears to create a space between the deck and building that is much larger than is practical for use in standard building practices. Again, by contrast, the present invention provides a very practical size space to use in accord with standard building practices.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a deck or fence mounting block or plate for the support of a deck or fence by spaced attachment of a building's internal framing members and the deck or fence in a manner to protect against the accumulation of undesirable moisture in the jointure between the building and the deck or fence.
Another object of the present invention is to provide simpler mounting hardware for the union between a deck and a building which can be more economically used to provide structural strength in an environment and with materials requiring protection against the accumulation of undesirable moisture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide mounting hardware for attaching a deck or fence to the building in a way that doesn't require that the building siding cover the edges of the mounting hardware.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a deck or fence mounting block or plate that can be set in a bed of exterior caulk at the place where the mounting block meets the siding to prevent against the passage of undesirable moisture.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a deck or fence mounting block having steep-angled top and bottom edges that function as flashing to deflect moisture from the joint between the mounting block and the building to thus protect against the accumulation of undesirable moisture.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a deck or fence mounting block or plate requiring only one bolt for mounting and which hangs plumb during the mounting process.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for the assembly of a wooden deck or fence and its attachment to a wooden building or other wooden support structure in a manner to protect against the accumulation of undesirable moisture.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of application of a deck or fence mounting block or plate having steep-angled top and bottom edges to function as flashing to deflect moisture from the joint between the mounting block or plate and the building to protect against the accumulation of undesirable moisture in the joint.
The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will become apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described, since it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.